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(Setting): NSFMed at Glitch City [Karte 5]
| >>564341
/One of the Controllers... like Van-/ >Rocky is part way through her text when she stops, distracted by Aikawa. >>564343
>Rocky holds her fingers to her mouth, thinking. She sends the text and puts her phone away.
"No, it's fine. She'll want to see someone after the procedure's done anyway..." >Rocky replies.
| >>564356
>Aikawa nods, and stands up to knock on the glass... only to notice that someone has put a sign on the guard rail in front of the window:
>"Please don't tap on the glass, it angers the surgeons."
>She snorts, and sits back down. The surgical lights are turned up, drapes are placed, and a few trays of instruments are placed next to Roy. He simply extends a hand, rather than asking for a scalpel. The First Assist, as if reading his mind, knows exactly which one he wants.
| >>564357
>The first incisions are made, and not much is heard coming from the OR other than the beeping of monitors and Roy occasionally asking for different pieces of equipment. Aikawa finds this unusual, since...
"... Usually he plays music while he works."
>She runs a hand through her hair, confused. He must really feel like he's under the gun, since it's not common for him to have patient visitors watch him perform a procedure like this one.
| "I wanted to as well but I fear that man spells trouble for things, and their corporation has already done much trouble for the city today. I just want to make sure he isnt able to enter, is it okay if you hide somewhere? I promise to come find you."
>CN responds to the maid
| [Main Lobby]
>Eventually, the clerk from earlier returns with another woman in tow, who appears slightly more stern and perhaps a bit irritated. The secretary hangs her head, likely having been scolded by her superior for asking a question that both of them already know the answer to. They both approach the man slowly, neither relishing the idea of having this conversation again.
"Excuse me, sir..."
| >>564361
>The man, for his part, is sitting in a corner of the waiting area with a copy of Good Housekeeping magazine. Somehow he has produced glasses and, as you approach, slowly pulls them down to get a good look at the both of you.
"Y-yes?"
| >>564364
>The supervisor crosses her arms, and pulls up a chair in front of him, seating herself in it with the secretary flanking her on her right.
"My name is Janne Hart; I'm one of the staff here who manages patient relations. I was told you wanted to speak with me?"
>The secretary wrings her hands nervously, her boss's icy demeanor making her anxious.
| >>564365
>Aikawa chuckles at Rocky referring to Roy's profession as "the business." She thinks to herself for a moment, silently adding up the years in her head.
"... He's been done with his residency for... 4 or 5 years? So, a while. Met him a few years out of it."
>That's a long story for another day. As much as Aikawa would love to tell Rocky about all of the stupid shit Roy did when they lived in Niihama, she figures that right now he wouldn't appreciate her talking trash.
| >>564367
"Oh, I apologize- rather, I was in a great hurry to see a patient that may have been brought here- a young girl." >The man meets your gaze, his purple/pink eyes dark against the shadow of his hat.
| >>564368
>Rocky smiles and then sighs.
"That's... reasonable." >She rubs the top of the big box familiarly, which stands next to her.
"...but what I meant was, how long have the both of you been in the shadows?"
| >>564369
>Janne raises her eyebrow.
"Did the young lady behind me inform you of the temporary changes that have gone into effect regarding our visitor policy?"
>She crosses one leg over the other, the sharp heel of her shoe seemingly pointing menacingly at the concerned looking man in front of her. Her expression seems to say, "can we please be done with this already?"
| >>564370
>Aikawa nearly chokes on her own spit as Rocky voices what she would consider to be an incredibly personal question. She coughs a few times, trying to clear her head of the apprehension that's starting to take hold of her. Please, not this again--
"How long have we >>>what?"
>She becomes noticeably more pale as the seconds tick by. Her eyes dart between Rocky and the procedure taking place below them.
| >>564360
"I'm afraid not. I won't seperate myself from you again."
>She shakes her head
"Worry not about me, but yourself."
| >>564382
"Ugh..."
>He thinks for a moment
"Okay, let's just wait here and see if he shows up again. If he approached this desk for info that means he'll leave through a visible exit. If he doesnt that means hes got permission inside."
| >A small girl in oversized clothes enters the hospital, salivating at the mouth and gaze haggard
>CN would recognize her as the missing Glue-chan, why is she here?
| >>564376
"I'm aware," >The fedora man says smoothly,
"Although I had hoped that, given the circumstances, an exception could be made." >His eyes squint ever so slightly.
"Surely a compassionate woman like yourself would understand?"
| >>564379
"...I see." >Rocky says.
"... if possible, you should get out while you can, but..." >She looks back into the OR.
"Something tells me you would have done things all the same."
| >>564613
>Janne narrows her eyes to match. Bold of this man to assume that every single employee in this building is "compassionate," or at least "compassionate" in the sense he's hoping she is.
"While I understand both your concern and your desire to see your daughter, we can't make an exception-- if we were to do it for you, it would be unfair to all of the other visitors who've been in your shoes and have returned to their homes as instructed."
| >>564616
"Ah, but wouldn't you say that you've already been unfair?" >He says, not breaking his gaze. He speaks slightly louder- just enough that anyone else in the waiting room may be able to hear him.
"I'm sure you've already allowed- some- exceptions. What's a few seconds to assuage one man's guilt?"
| >>564614
>Aikawa tugs at her collar, feeling a little short of breath. Where is she pulling this stuff from? Did CN just up and air out her dirty laundry?
"... D-done..."
>She stammers, struggling against the part of herself that's begging her to clam up. Squeezing her eyes shut, she responds, her speech pressured.
"I-I'm done with that! Been done with it for a while!"
>She looks down at Roy with a guilty expression.
"H-he... doesn't know. Wasn't involved..."
| >>564618
>Rocky places a hand in your shoulder- there's a bit of reassuring-ness there- but there's also... concern.
"During that call, whose phone was being used as a bridge?"
| >>564610
>A security officer notices the girl and wanders towards her, waving. They kneel slightly in order to be at eye level with the child, and ask gently what she's doing here alone in the front lobby.
"Hello, little miss. Are you alright? Have you lost your parents?"
| >>564619
>Aikawa seems confused, given that she wasn't actually part of the call-- just talking with her roommate via commlink while some of it was going down.
"'Bridge?' To what? W-why are you asking me this stuff?"
>As if she expects her to know... Roy still hasn't had a chance to get her up to speed on the evening's events, and he's been refusing to comm her since she's not supposed to be using her commlink anyway.
| >>564621
"H-Hello there my sweet daughter, I've been looking everywhere for you. Why dont we get out of here and get some food hmm?"
>CN decides to make his way to the exit with Glue-chan
| >>564617
>Janne refuses to budge, even with many pairs of eyes in the waiting room now pointing in her direction. Rather than address the fedora man's (accurate) quip about how exceptions to the current visitor policy have already been made, she highlights something he's said that she finds rather odd.
"'Guilt"...? That's an unusual motivation for paying your own daughter a visit... if she's even here."
| >>564628
"Yup, let's go to the nearby burg shall we?"
>He keeps walking out with the smols in tow
"*Sigh* Well I guess we couldnt stick around but I can probs check out the cameras while getting some food."
| >>564621 >>564626 >>564628 >>564625
>The officer looks on, puzzled, as the girl wanders off. That problem solved itself, it seems. They eye the group as they all walk towards the lobby's exit. Perhaps he's just been discharged? A happy reunion, for sure.
| >>564630
>Gluttony follows slowly, salivating
>So does the maid, still trying to not burst into laughter
| >>564624
>Aikawa's hands begin to shake with... anger? Fear? Maybe both.
"W-what did Geeky tell you about me? Christ, I-I don't even know you..."
>She brings a palm to her forehead, starting to break out in a cold sweat. This doesn't make her look good. Her mind races-- what if she's a friend of Shears? Now she's incriminated herself and/or confirmed this woman's suspicions if that's the case.
"I-I can't..."
| >>564624 >>564637
>Rocky frowns, confused.
"...then if it's not you, how did..." >She rubs her chin, and shakes her head.
"Nevermind. Listen very closely. There is a dangerous man in the hospital *right now*, and he's likely after Strawberry."
| >>564629
>The man frowns, and almost looks teary-eyed.
"Yes... its unfortunate, but she and I had a bit of an argument prior to all that happened." >He pulls out a pocket handkerchief and dabs his eyes.
"Sorry... I had hoped that she would return home soon after she had her rant, but..." >He waves gently above him.
"...you know."
| >>564638
"If >>>who's not me?"
>At this point, "nevermind" offers Aikawa very little reassurance. Nonetheless, she makes a concentrated effort to listen closely as Rocky says, rather than continue to flip her shit over what is maybe some kind of misunderstanding.
"T-there is? He is? I..."
>She shakes her head forecefully, clearing her bangs from her face.
"What... do we do? W-what >>>can >>>I do?"
| >>564640
>Janne's expression softens, though the change is almost imperceptible. She leans forward and speaks, lacking the cutting undertone her voice carried earlier.
"... I'm sorry. "
>She closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again and meets the man's gaze, it seems as if she's looking through him or past him.
"The universe is unpredictable, and cruel. I do sincerely hope that those won't be the last words of yours she'll remember... But, we still can't."
| >>564642
"Stay calm. If this is who I think it is, he isn't going to make a scene." >She looks out into the OR, observing Roy curiously.
"...He'll attempt to verify Strawberry's location, after which he'll... work." >She bites her lip.
"If he doesn't find her, he'll go for the next likely target- whomever they used to track Strawberry to this location."
>She turns back to you.
| >>564828
>"Stay calm" is undoubtedly a better phrased command than "calm down," and so Aikawa responds to it more positively than one might expect. She takes a deep breath and grits her teeth, trying to make sense of everything that's going on.
"'Work'...? What... does he do for work?"
>She doesn't like the way Rocky is eyeing her and her roommate, especially in the context of someone in the hospital being this mystery person's "target."
"Wait... are you talking about >>>me??"
| >>564868
"Was >>>who the liaison between Geeky and the hospital?"
>She looks down at Roy, then jerks her head back up towards Rocky.
">>>H-him? Walker?? I-I--"
>Aikawa freezes, terrified by the possibility that someone, for what to her (and probably Roy) is some unknown reason, has it out for her roommate.
"Yeah, uh, he called him I think-- why does that matter?"
>And what does this put him in danger of? Her mind reels. She's sure there's a lot Rocky isn't telling her.
| >>564869
>Rocky sighs and brings her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose.
"If the man CN described doesn't find Strawberry, he will go after the next closest target- the one whose phone he probably traced to even get here." >She points to Roy.
"Doctor Walker."
| >>564895
>As soon as Rocky spells this all out in bold lettering for her, Aikawa feels as if her heart has fallen through both the pit of her stomach and the floor of the observation area-- landing somewhere in OR 3 where it would beat pathetically, unnoticed by those in the room.
"W-wha... what...?"
>Several times she attempts to speak, but falters. After enough tries she's finally able to draw forth something more substantial.
"What... will he do...? What do >>>we do?!"
| >>564896
"The only thing we can do"
>Xiria's voice suddenly comes from behind the both of them, she's wearing over-sized gloves and some kind of... garb that one would recognize as a surgeon's scrubs, her face is a mix of undecipherable emotions, mostly annoyance at being told several times 'this is the smallest size...'
"That is, to either run, or stand tall and proud? What a conundrum-?"
| >>565010
>Aikawa whips her head around in the direction of Xiria's voice, not having been aware of the little surgeon's arrival in the midst of her panic. She's totally dumbfounded, and her expression indicates as much.
"..."
>Were the circumstances here different, she'd likely find this very funny or amusing. Instead, all Aikawa can really manage right now is to stare blankly at Xiria while the boomer's words repeat inside her head. Run, or stand tall... Run, or stand tall..
| >>564640 >>564645
>Janne continues in a sympathetic tone, hoping that this time the best answer she or her fellow staff can give fedora man sticks.
"You have our word that should she arrive here, and should we have documentation stating that you're her emergency contact or next of kin, we will contact you immediately-- as my associate said."
>She uncrosses her legs, and folds her hands in her lap.
"May we ask your name to aid in this?"
| >>564896 >>565010 >>565075
>Rocky considers the small catboomer doctor for a moment before nodding.
"Do you want to save Doctor Walker?"
| >>565189
>The man gestures with his hat, only to realize he had removed it earlier in the conversation. He smiles and gives a slightly embarrassed grin.
"I appreciate that- my name is Dragan. Dragan воћка." >His eyes glint.
"I certainly hope to see my little sweet strawberry again."
| >>566631
"... >>>Yes!!!"
>The answer practically explodes from Aikawa's mouth as she clenches her fists and pounds them into her lap. Her lip quivers for a second, and she looks away before shaking her head and lowering her voice-- a whisper compared to her exclamation moments ago.
"... Please."
>Her brows knit together tightly, and she lets out a stuttered sigh. She seems to be holding something back.
| >>566635
"Dragan..."
>Janne says, extending a hand for the man to shake.
"Wherever your daughter is, I hope she is safe and that you can soon make amends with her."
>The woman sounds sincere. Somewhere in the tone of her voice lies a touch of... regret?
| >>566649
>The smallest hint of a grin forms on Rocky's lips.
"...after the operation is complete- lets begin with the basics," >She says, her voice a little softer than before,
"His phone needs to be replaced."
| >>566651
>Dragan takes the hand with both of his, his expression concerned and slightly breaking. You can even see the beginnings of tears well up in his eyes.
"Thank you, I- I appreciate that."
>He pulls one away to briefly wipe his face.
"Excuse me... mm... must be allergies."
| >>566664
>Aikawa is able to meet Rocky's gaze after a second or two, and swallows hard, nodding. Good. That's an instruction she can easily follow. Just gotta break it down right now.
"R-right."
>Her voice is hoarse, but a little less restrained sounding now that she has some direction.
"Shouldn't be too long before he has the First Assist close her up."
>She glances down at her roommate, now very conscious of the passage of time.
| >>566665
>Janne removes a packet of tissues from the pocket of her blazer, and hands them to Dragan. She rises from her seat, intending to walk the man to the front entrance-- offering her support but also ensuring he leaves. It's not unusual for family members to be so persistent or to want closure, but this is a rule they just can't afford to bend anymore.
"We'll be in touch the moment we hear anything."
| >>566664
"His phone? Ah yes-?"
>Xiria nods and her ears twitch
"Let us hope for a beautiful operation, free of waiting, hmm? Then we can get make our move?"
>She says slowly, a grin forming on her face
| >>566743
>From below the three comes a muffled shout, which gradually becomes clearer as the OR's mic registers the sound and adjusts accordingly.
"Dr. Xiria...?! Is that you up there?"
>Roy seems to have spotted the little boomer, and hails her from his spot next to the table with a polite wave-- the charm of which is ruined a bit by the fact that his surgical gloves are quite bloodied.
"Come down before you miss the extraction, Dr. Xiria!"
| >>566777
"I would love to?"
>She gives Rocky a side long glance
"Surely there is no problem? I would hate for it to be a problem yes?"
| >>566777 >>566779
>It appears that removal of the chunk of steel lodged in Strawberry's abdominal wall is indeed imminent-- Roy has carefully opened up the fascia a bit and put traction on it to ease the removal and avoid further damage to the surrounding tissue. He's admittedly a little concerned about how heavy this thing will be, and about how deeply it's lodged in her muscle. If it tore significantly... big, bad things could happen when this is taken out.
| >>566703
>Though clearly hesitant, the man appears to understand that Janne is firm on her decision. He puts down the copy of Good Housekeeping and follows her lead to the exit. Once there, he tips his hat again to the supervisor and heads toward the parking lot.
| >>566779
>Rocky's glare peeks out from beneath her dark bangs.
"...No. I, too, would hate for there to be a problem." >She nods in the direction of the OR.
| >>567079
>Aikawa half listens to her roommate chat with his First Assist about how they plan to handle care post removal of the foreign body. The phrase "damage control" is heard a few times, and each time she hears it she grows more anxious. If she's remembering some of the stuff Roy's told her in the past correctly... what's being done here is temporary. She's at a crossroads as to whether she's not sure about disclosing this to Rocky, or whether she's too scared to.
| >>567078
>Janne waves goodbye, internally wishing Dragan well. Once he's departed, she walks with her subordinate back to the circulation desk, and pats the secretary roughly on the back.
">>>That's how you should handle a situation like this. Be firm. Don't cave and immediately come running to me."
>The clerk nods, embarrassed. Janne, seemingly satisfied, makes her way back to her office-- meanwhile the secretary quickly comms Aikawa as she had been instructed to do earlier.
| >>567079 >>567223
>The transmission is instant, and as soon as it's completed Aikawa stops the nervous bouncing of one of her legs, focusing.
"That man... is his name..."
>She's quiet again, and assumes a puzzled expression for a moment.
"D... D-Dagron--?"
>Aikawa shakes her head, and turns her palms upward in a gesture of genuine confusion-- to Rocky, it's unclear as to whom this is meant for.
"O-oh... >>>'Dragan'."
>She sighs. Clerk needs her ears checked.
| >>567079
"I shall see it that you do not regret this decision?"
>The little boomer walks a resolute step in her over-sized gowns as she steps down into the OR her face going stern, she lifts her face mask and re-adjusts her gloves
| >>567234
>Roy seems relieved to see Xiria enter after scrubbing in, and quickly re-introduces her to the team before involving her in the ongoing conversation about how they're going to proceed.
"I'm worried about her eviscerating as soon as we pull that chunk of metal out... The scan showed the bowel was intact, which is a miracle-- but the abdominal wall is compromised and there's still high risk of infection."
>He crosses his arms, thinking.
"There might be a part 2 to this."
| >>567234 >>567235
>The First Assist reviews different methods for partial closure, Roy responding with the pros and cons of each. He's always one to think things through, but he's weighing his options extra carefully right now.
"A vac, with mesh. There are nurses in the ICU who know how to change a dressing like that; I've trained them myself. We'll do that now, open her back up later if needed... and close within the next few days."
>He nods to himself.
| >>567239
>Xiria takes a second, nodding after hearing Roy Speak
"That sounds like a proper idea? I shall help in any way I can, that lady upstairs seems to be quite untrusting-? I shall leave most of the work to you this time? Ahh, how unsightly?"
>She doesn't seem particularly angry at her situation, but it seems she's trusting Roy to choose the right path
"Now if things go awry? I will step in"
>She says with finality
| >>567240
"Don't take it personally, Dr. Xiria. We're both strangers to her; CN just happened to have met me before he met you. All she has to go on is his word, and ours."
>Roy prepares to begin extracting the steel, and the First Assist readies the tools needed to both remove it and contain it.
"I'm counting on you, Dr. Xiria. You know that this is where things can get a little hairy."
>He hopes to god she can see over the table.
| >>567256
>Xiria likely can't see Roy's wide grin underneath his surgical mask as he notices her ears flatten against her head in displeasure. Something in him wants to reach out and tousle her hair, but he pushes that urge aside out of respect for the small surgeon. Hastily, he grabs a nearby stool with his good foot, sliding it across the floor until it rests near Xiria.
"Will that do, Dr. Xiria? It should be nice and stable; some of our other surgeons use it as well."
| >>567262
>She nods and jumps upon the stool
"Very well? let us start then-"
>She flips her small loupes
| >>567264
>Roy nods, and the First Assist passes both he and Xiria some very large moistened gauze sponges. Also waiting in the wings are the synthetic mesh mentioned earlier, the negative pressure dressing material, and several different kinds of hemostats, sutures, and staples.
"... Okay. Slowly. Apply gentle pressure close to the incision edges while I start moving this away. Be ready to clamp or cauterize."
>Slowly, Roy begins to remove the piece of steel.
| >>567268
>Xiria follows his lead, her hands not shaking an inch as she waits for him to move the piece of steel away
>Her eyes are focused now, and serious
| >>567268 >>567269
>The holographic overlay projected onto Strawberry's abdomen also gives Roy a good idea of the foreign body's angle of entry-- if this can exit at the same angle, it may help prevent further tissue damage. He's careful to follow the guide on this.
"Watch for any signs of decompensation and tell me immediately. Suction..."
>Roy feels the piece of metal start to dislodge, and slows his pace even further. Millimeter by millimeter, more is exposed...
| >>567270
>Xiria nods, her own eye augments working their magic as she observes the wounds, her hands slowing down to match the pace Roy is keeping
| [ER ingress]
>A vehicle drives up to the entrance, it's trunk pops open, along with one of the back doors, of which John comes out, going to the trunk to take out what looks like a bloodied person.
"Alright, stay with me, I'm sure your bosses would love to find out what you know."
>He stabs the person with a needle pen, waking the person up.
"Aaa... Wh.. where am I?"
>John puts the person's arm over his shoulder, helping the person get to the ER.
"Nurse! I got an injured man!"
| >>567272
>Roy is able to feel the viscera underneath the steel and the abdominal wall push back as he lifts the weight of the piece of metal. He stops moving completely when the estimated depth remaining within the abdominal cavity is roughly a centimeter.
"Okay, Dr. Xiria... Get ready to apply a bit more pressure to keep things in place once this is out."
>The First Assist lends her hands as well. Nobody wants to see the OR become draped with Strawberry's small intestine.
| >>567274
[Emergency Room Entrance, Triage/Waiting Area]
>As John proceeds through the lobby doors, multiple heads turn his way to see what all the ruckus is about. One of the clerks at the circulation desk spies the bloodied man draped over John's shoulder, and hauls ass into the nurse's station while parroting John's request. Out from the triage RN's station comes Chien and the tech from earlier, approaching at a rapid clip with a wheelchair in tow.
| >>567277 >>567278
Thankfully, Roy's pager goes off before he continues to extract the chunk of metal, and one of the circulating nurses moves over to the table it was tossed onto to silence it-- although, it likely would have gone unnoticed anyway. Right now, Roy's focus is exclusively limited to the patient in front of him.
"On three... One, two..."
>Roy gently lifts the shard with one hand, finally freeing it from Strawberry's abdominal wall. Quickly, he moves the other.
| >>567279
"They fucked him up real good doc, multiple surface cuts, no light blood, so no artery cuts"
>John sets the guy in the wheelchair.
"You think he can make it, nurse?"
>The person himself looks in much worse state than John describes, bruising, fingers bending the way they should not be, cuts all over his body, the blood has given the person's clothes a crimson red tint.
| >>567286
>Xiria apply pressure as Roy pulls out the piece of metal, her hands don't even shake but her ears twitch as she catches the pager's ringing
| >>567292
>Roy deposits the metal chunk in one of the nearby "salad bowls," and motions for one of the nurses to bring the synthetic mesh that they'll place over the viscera until they have time to further investigate for other trauma. Carefully the mesh is sutured to the surrounding fascia, Roy working meticulously to keep things as neat and "in place" as possible. The negative pressure dressing is built gradually on top of this with the aid of multiple staff.
| >>567289 >>567274 >>567279
>Chien listens to John's brief and admittedly spotty history while the tech grabs the quickest set of vital signs she can manage. Judging by the fact that her eyebrows immediately shoot so high up on her forehead that you'd think they'd fallen off, she doesn't like what she sees.
"... Let's get working on him so we can raise our chances of that."
>The tech places a nasal cannula on the man before she and Chien start to take off.
| >>567295
>Roy breathes a sigh of relief, as at this point the most dangerous portion of Strawberry's surgery (soon to be "surgeries") has concluded. He makes a mental note to watch her chart like a hawk and keep in close contact with the ICU over the course of the next few hours. Leaving his First Assist and Xiria to finish applying the dressing, he removes his gloves and picks up his pager, staring at the tiny display. Better not be Max again.
| >>567296
"I think I need to throw up."
>John pales, visually discussed by the blood on his clothes, and begins to gag.
"Where's the bathroom?"
| >>567299
>The pager shows a phone call from an unknown personal number. There doesn't seem to be a voice mail or a text lef- annnnd it rings again.
| >>567301
>Aikawa can hear the pager sound repeatedly from her seat in the observation area, and notices Roy squinting at it. She leans into one of the speakers on the wall and pushes to talk--
"Who's trying to get a hold of you?"
>Roy shrugs and shakes his head.
"I don't know. I've gotten two calls from a number I don't recognize. Could you please grab my phone, Ei? It's in the on-call room."
>Aikawa turns to Rocky, unsure of how to proceed.
| >>567303
>Aikawa anxiously looks back and forth between Rocky and Roy several times before flashing her roommate what is probably the least reassuring thumbs up Rocky has ever seen in her life. Amazingly, Roy buys this-- he figures she's just still embarrassed over the comment Max made earlier while they were all in the on-call room... Convincing her he didn't blab to Max or anyone else in the hospital about certain... events in said on-call room is going to be difficult. He sighs.
| >>567300
>Every nurse has some bodily fluid they can't deal with. Sputum, feces, bile, even blood-- unfortunately, Chien's happens to be vomit. As he, the tech and John hurry towards the ward's doors, he looks around frantically for the nearest bathroom to shove the nauseated man inside. He spots an unoccupied one right outside the unit's doors, and thrusts him in it's general direction.
"I-I'll come back in a few minutes!!"
>Through the doors they go.
| >John droops down to his knees, holding the toilet bowl as he throws up his meal he had. Looks like ipecac worked, maybe a little too well, as he keeps regurgitating his stomach's contents.
"Urggg... Christ, what was that."
>He flushes the toilet after a minute or so of throwing up, and makes his way to the bathroom mirror.
| >His white shirt now stained, but his jacket, already black, hides the blood. He washes his face, hands and shirt of as much blood as he can, before buttoning his suit to cover the still wet spots on his shirt. He whips out a phone, sending a text message.
>"Bait is live, need an out before I throw up again."
| >Another wave of nausea hits him, sending him to the toilet again.
>He eventually makes his way out of the bathroom, drained from throwing up, as he looks around to find his bearings.
| >>567303
>Aikawa again looks back to Rocky, seemingly apprehensive.
"You... need me to walk you back there?"
>The on-call room isn't all that far away, but it's easy to get lost in this place. Aikawa waffles on repeating her earlier question about this mysterious interloper's name and settles on keeping quiet. Who knows of Rocky'd even tell her, anyway? She seems to be really choosey in what she does and doesn't say.
| >>567306 >>567307 >>567308
>When John emerges from the bathroom, he's greeted by the sight of the nurse who deposited him there and one other staff member-- an aide, maybe? The nurse doesn't seem particularly happy to be back.
"T-this is him, Marcille. Looks like he just got through driving the porcelain bus."
>The aide clicks her tongue and shakes her head at the nurse.
"Trust me Chien, he's not even out from behind the wheel yet. We should probably find him a room, too."
| >John tries to straighten up, and regain stability.
"Tell me he's alright, I might get better from that."
>He covers his mouth as another wave of nausea hits him, causing him to cover his mouth, but not throw up.
"Water, please."
| >>567413
>Rocky looks apprehensive- she looks between the operation currently occurring, and you.
>She sighs.
"If you don't mind..." >She gestures for you to lead the way.
| >>567435
>Aikawa notices Rocky's hesitation and tries to assuage her (probable) fears by calling her attention to exactly what's taking place on the OR table.
"They're almost done. Gonna turf her to the ICU once the vac system's all put together. He'll go with her."
>She stands up and begins to walk towards the observation area's exit, throwing one last glance over her shoulder at Roy.
"C'mon. Won't take long."
>Here's hoping, anyway.
| >>567507
>Aikawa spies the phone lying on the beat up desk next to the stacked beds in the corner of the room. She picks it up, and unlocks it... startlingly easily.
"Password is "password" if it locks you out again."
>Classic Roy. Aikawa hands the phone to Rocky, and watches expectantly. What now? Will she snap it in half? Bludgeon it with that enormous box she's carrying? Flush it down a nearby toilet? The suspense grows slowly.
| >>567430
>Marcille moves quickly over to John to support him in case his knees buckle again. She rubs his back and starts to walk him carefully into the ward.
"There's a cooler in the nurse's station. Let's get you into a room; you don't look so hot, Mister."
>Chien follows close behind. Unfortunately, John won't be roomed with his buddy-- Trauma Bay 3 is a private suite. They'll have to find space for him somewhere else.
| >>567519
"I just need to collect my thoughts. And my guts."
>John takes the support, and goes with Marcille.
>Meanwhile...
>The person brought in by John keeps falling in and out consciousness, while the car that dropped them off has disappeared.
"Don't... Don't... let them take..."
| >>567516
>Aikawa takes this opportunity to dig her own phone out of her pocket, and shoot a text off to CN. Her thumb swipes furiously across the screen-- any faster and you think she'd end up with a blister.
>"Didn't expect you to be the loose-lipped type-- you trying to get me killed?! Who is this woman?? Hope you're willing to offer up answers as much as you were the skeletons in my closet."
>She grumbles and hits "send."
| >>567521
[Emergency Ward, Trauma Bay 3]
>The man's words are almost lost in the commotion of the room-- a team surrounds John's guest, working quickly to establish IV access, visualize any wounds or trauma, and stop any bleeding. A tech and a paramedic work to cut off his clothing while an RN fishes around in one of his arms for a patent vein.
"Let them take what?"
>The RT at the head of the bed happens to catch the man's murmuring.
| >>567523
>A quick reply
>"I don't know what you're talking about, I didn't say anything about you to Rocky. The first time I talked to her after you told all that was in Strawberrys room even. By the way, tell Rocky her 'guest' was escorted out of the hospital by the front nurses."
| >>567527
>"Bull-fucking-shit!! This glitch asked me point blank how long I'd been in the shadows!! How do you suppose she's able to guess some rando who she can only identify by name has a checkered past? She a mind reader?!"
>Aikawa is typing...
>"I told her some 'Dragan' guy was here, that's what the secretaries said. She didn't say anything."
>Aikawa looks up from her phone and relays CN's message, frustrated.
"Your guest headed off towards the parking lot, Geeky says."
| >The man, losing blood and and consciousness says a few words before passing out.
"Don't trust... guest..."
>His whole body slumps, and the last of his strength goes with his consciousness.
>Meanwhile...
>John is nearly back to his normal self, Quietly looking around.
| >>567532
>"What would I have to gain from spilling your life story to Rocky? She barely tells me anything about herself as is. If you dont believe just ask her yourself, she would have no reason to protect me regarding this. Dragan was the guest in question."
| >>567533
"Guest...?"
>It takes the RT a moment to process this, then they ask their fellow staff:
"Did this man come here with anybody?!"
>Over the din, someone shouts back.
"Yeah, I think Marcille went to get him."
>The RT slips a non-rebreather carefully over the man's head, then turns to one of the nearby techs.
"Find Marci, and tell her that if that other guy doesn't need medical attention, he's gotta go."
| >>567536
>Aikawa is typing...
>"How am I supposed to know she's not with Dr. Shears!? Do /you/? Ffs, I just met her today!! You really expect me to just... up and trust her implicitly?"
>Aikawa pauses. Rocky did offer to help save her roomie, though...
>Aikawa is typing...
>"Who the fuck is this guy, and what is he gonna do to Walker? She won't tell me."
| >>567533
>Marcille seems please by the fact that John is regaining his color after hydrating a little, and gets ready to continue walking him to Wing 2 when a tech comes tearing out of Bay 3.
"M-marci--"
>Marcille seems surprised by the tech's sudden approach and distressed tone.
"What's up? Need me back in there?"
>The tech shakes his head, and gestures to John.
"Is he a visitor? If he is, he's gotta leave. Restrictions on the policy are still active."
| >>567545
>John sees the distressed tech, and decides that he'll be in a load of shit if he sits around any longer, especially after the tech points at him.
"Time to leave then."
>John stands up, and non-chalantly begins walking towards an exit out of the hospital, preferably away from the person he's dropped off, but after being sick, he ends up going to an exit in the same direction as the person he has dropped off...
| >>567532
>As Rocky flips through the phone, it rings in her hand.
>She answers...
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Vanilla? Is that you, dear?" >Comes a sweet voice... masculine, leveled. Different from the one earlier.
>Rocky turns to Aikawa and raises a finger to her lips.
| >>567552
>Aikawa nods and covers her mouth. Best to defer to Rocky at this point. She'll worry about explaining Roy's ruined phone later. She sends CN one last text before putting her own phone back in her pocket.
>Aikawa is typing...
>"She's taking a call from someone who dialed Walker's phone. They're looking for a 'Vanilla.'"
| >>567542
>"Trust me, Rocky and the rest of her team are very unlikely to know about Dr. Shears, let alone know them, unless he somehow dealt with intergalactic corporations. As for Dragan, honestly I dont know, this is the first I've heard of him as well, though if my guess is that he works for Vitalife like I assume he does, he might be trouble. Vanilla is the leader of Rockys crew."
| >>567559
"...Vanilla's nowhere near here, Dragan."
>Silence, and then...
"I didn't expect to hear *your* voice, dear. You're the last I would expect to get involved."
"Who were you expecting?"
"Someone with a little less self control. I did think it strange that the good doctor chose to punish *you* publicly."
>Rocky grimaces.
"How much do you know?"
"Only what I need to know. I've been somewhat delayed- understandably, of course, but-"
>Rocky cuts them off.
"She's dea-" >Rocky says quickly, so much so that she chokes on her own tongue somehow.
"...what?"
| >>567566
>Aikawa keeps her hand clamped tightly over her mouth, careful not to make even a sound as she listens to Rocky speak with Dragan. Her eyebrow twitches at the mention of "the good doctor" punishing the girl in front of her. Is he referring to Roy? Someone else?
"..."
>It's uncomfortable to hear Rocky lie about Strawberry's condition, but technically it's not something Aikawa herself can get burned for.
| >>567609
>Both share an uncomfortable amount of seconds of silence on the phone.
"I said, she's dead- Strawberry passed away. So I guess you're going to be as disappointed as I am." >Rocky forces herself to finish.
>There's no reply at first- then:
"...you're very out of practice, Rocky." >The voice says matter of factly, even condescendingly, like a father would be to a child.
"Even without a refresher, you normally would show just a hint of emotion when you bluff. She's more than just your coworker, isn't she?"
>You watch Rocky's expression harden into a frown. Even though her lips are shut, you can guess that she's likely grinding her teeth.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to put Doctor Walker, Roy, on the phone, I would very much like to speak with my own daughter." >The voice says, suddenly increasing in volume- not a shout, but loud enough to be heard without speakerphone,
"Please don't kill him, Rocky. I'm here for you," >The voice says, suddenly becoming fatherly- tender,
"Let's have a nice, warm conversation over coffee, just the four of u-" >Rocky ends the phone call, her thumb pressing hard into the phone's face, threatening to break it. It rings again- she fiddles with the device and turns it off.
>Her breathing has changed- She angrily drops the phone into a pocket... and then turns to you.
| >>567611
>Aikawa watches the proceedings with bated breath. The more the tension in the air increases, the tighter her throat constricts around her heart. She resists the urge to put a hand on Rocky's shoulder as she tries to fake her way through the mock interrogation.
"...!!!"
>At the mention of Roy's name, all of the color drains from Aikawa's face. Her knees shake as the words "kill him" leave Dragan's mouth, and she's just barely able to stop herself from keeling over.
| >>567614
"He's LYING." >Rocky says, a little too loudly- something wild has changed in her demeanor, but upon seeing your face she immediately softens, sweat appearing along her brow.
>She reaches in one of her pockets and pulls out a small, palm sized pistol with four barrels. She holds it out to you, grip facing you.
"Can you use this?"
| >>567615
>Aikawa's hand falls from her mouth, her response dropping like a lead weight along with it.
"About >>>what?! I don't even know what the>>>truth in any of this is!"
>She puts a palm to her face, her entire body trembling. This is happening all over again, except now it's happening where she can witness it.
"Oh god, oh my god..."
>She eyes the pistol in Rocky's outstretched hand, and takes it wordlessly, clutching the grip tightly in her uninjured hand.
| >>567616
>Rocky brings the palm of a hand to her chin, covering her mouth- her eyes dart constantly in thought.
"..."
"...the more you know, the more it will be used against you." >She begins,
"Knowledge is power, and the more you have, the more reason they'll want to take it from you." >She fiddles with the giant rectangular box, latching and unlatching one of the locks nervously.
"Memory is their weapon. Fears, doubts, their ammunition." >She seems to be talking to the air more than to you- her irises widen as her voice becomes less structured and more... hypnotic.
"Truth is a weakn-" >She cuts off- staring into space- then she shakes her head, slaps both of her cheeks with her hands, as if trying to wake herself up.
"He's not going to leave. He's probably waiting outside, to see if we try escape. Even if we don't, he'll try to find another opportunity to enter the building-" >Rocky speaks quickly- it looks like its difficult for her to keep her focus.
"He won't be able to call or track this phone as long as it remains powered off. But he'll likely try again, using anything else available." >She looks toward a hospital phone, if in the area.
"He won't stop until he's either dead, or completes his mission. On the bright side... no one else will be sent to help him, so..." >Rocky rubs her arms.
| >>567551
>Seeing John heading directly towards Bay 3, the tech bristles and steps in front of the man, folding his arms across his chest.
"If it's time to leave, you should be walking towards the exit, chummer."
>He points over John's shoulder towards the doors he and Marcille entered through. The aide objects.
"Oh, don't pay him any mind, mister. We'll walk 'round the unit so you can wish him well from the hallway before you leave."
>The tech scowls at Marcille.
| >>567624
"No, the tech is right, I've caused enough trouble already."
>John is no longer the pale man he was, something has him worried, he looks at Marcille
"Marcille was it? That's what the other nurse called you. Can you show me the way out? I'm still a little dizzy."
| >>567628
>Marcille extends a warm and friendly hand for John to shake.
"That's me! Of course I can show you out, mister. Come with me."
>She smiles at the tech, who rolls his eyes back at her and scrutinizes them both as they walk in the direction of Bay 3.
"We'll cut through the break room; it's a bit faster that way."
>The two pass the rounded corner of the nurses station, and Marcille stops across from the patient's room to gaze inside.
"They'll take good care of him."
| >>567630
>John shakes Marcilles hand firmly, and follows her.
"I can see that, but do make sure he stays safe, and delete the video recordings of me in the hospital."
>He says, turning the friendly conversation on it's head.
| >Xiria is still in the OR, Her ears twitching as they receive a transmission, she gives roy a look and her mouth becomes a scowl
| >>567618
>About 3/4 of Rocky's solemn aside flies right over Aikawa's head. She's not able to absorb much in her panicked state, and is clearly struggling to hold everything together as Rocky describes Dragan's MO. She looks at Rocky, and then back at the pistol in her hand, feeling sick. Has she used a handgun before? Sure, who hasn't in GC. Has ever she shot to kill?
"..."
>She jams her eyes shut underneath the hand across her face.
| >>567631
"Oh, sure thi--"
>She registers John's non sequitur and her speech stutters for a second.
"--ing...?"
>She wears a smile, but it's becoming an uneasy one. Praying the tech didn't overhear, she spirits John away to the break room as quickly as possible. Another questionable character, huh...?
"Let's just chat in here a mo'."
>Janne is going to be so pissed if there's a repeat of the brawl in the hallway earlier...
| >>567632
>Roy is in the midst of preparing to head out of the OR and up to the ICU with Strawberry when he notices Xiria trying to catch his eye. Uh-oh. Was there something he missed? He runs through the surgery's events in his mind for the nth time, and shakes his head.
"I've got to make sure it all comes together..."
>He murmurs softly to himself before addressing Xiria's sour expression.
"Yes, Dr. Xiria? Is there something you need?"
>Help getting off that stool, maybe?
| >>567636
"whoa... wher-"
>John barely keeps up with the change in the direction, worried that the nurse might panic and cause trouble, so he unbuttons his jacket, just in case...
"Look, if you don't feel comfortable with that idea, just tell me so."
| >>567638
>The break room is empty aside from John and the aide-- the unit's very busy and every set of hands available is needed on deck right now. Marcille takes a wide stance and leans over to plant her palms on the table, stretching her back for a moment. When she lifts her head back up to look at John, her eyes seem clouded with suspicion.
"I don't mean any harm, mister, it's just that we had an altercation between a patient and a... visitor of interest earlier."
| >>567638 >>567640
"So, I need to know... Are you another one? Who are you, really, sir-- and why is our tech is just >>>itching to get you outta the house?"
>She stares at John expectantly. Although she didn't witness the fight earlier, she heard it was pretty gruesome. The streaks of blood and tears that were smeared on the hall's walls were evidence of that.
| >>567641
"I'm nobody, and I wasn't here."
>John's face darkens, as he reaches in to his jacket...
>And pulls out a cred stick.
"No more questions. Let's just get me out of here."
| >>567643
>Marcille stiffens visibly as John reaches into his jacket, her mouth becoming slightly agape. Before she can utter any kind of protest, John produces the credstick and she exhales deeply in relief. Well, Marcille? You gonna take the money and run?
"..."
>She shakes her head, standing up slowly.
"Keep your money; I don't know where that's been. Just... leave all the patients alone, and I'll keep my mouth shut. 'Kay?"
| "I'd never hurt someone in the hospital. Only outside the hospital."
>John puts the cred stick on the table, leaving it there.
"If you don't take it, someone else will. Oh, by the way, where's the bin?"
| >>567633 >>567615
"Y-you're..."
>Aikawa feels her head swim and her fingers become numb as she starts to hyperventilate. She bows her head towards her chest, her arm tight across her stomach as if in pain.
"... Y-you're gonna kill him."
>The hand on her forehead moves to her knee as she tries to keep herself upright.
"That's what he said, right? Y-you're gonna kill him..."
>Her voice sounds hollow, empty.
"A-and >>>you... hand>>>me a>>>gun...?! What the fuck is this?!"
| >>567650
"... Simple enough. 'Least you're honest, I suppose."
>Marcille shrugs. Not the answer she was expecting or hoping for, but it's the one she got, and now she has to make the best of it. She makes note of one loophole he might try to find, and adds:
"That includes former patients, by the way."
>Satisfied, she points to the wall immediately next to John, where the break room's trash and recycling bins stand.
"Trash is to your left."
| >>567653
"Case by case, Marcille, Case by case. I don't just go around killing as I like."
>He says as he walks over, and reaches in to his jacket again...
>To pull his gun out.
"Don't panic, I'm just reassuring you."
>He says, calmly dropping his mag out of his mag, and begins popping out the bullets out of the mag. Once he finishes, he puts the mag back in the holster, taking out the other one, doing the same thing.
| >>567654
>Marcille's shoulders jump up towards her ears, and she is rendered mute as John removes his gun from his jacket. She holds her hands up in front of her, despite John's insistence that she stay cool . If anything, the fact that this seems like an everyday occurrence to him is freaking her out more.
"'Reassuring', huh...? There's other ways to go about harming people, Mister..."
>Still, one less gun is one less gun. The fewer in the building, the better.
| "A gun is impersonal. you don't have to see the life drain out of someone you shoot."
>John states somberly, unloading the last of the bullets out of the second mag.
"I've seen death personally too many times to want to see it again."
>He keeps monologging, Putting the mag back in the gun for storage, and cycling the gun to extract the last bullet.
"But, a job is still a job, as horrible as it is."
>He puts the gun back in the holster, turning around.
"So, lets leave?"
| >>567669
>Marcille blinks at him, unsure of what to say. Maybe it's best just to let things be.
"Y-yeah, let's leave. This'll take us to the main lobby."
>She gestures towards the unmarked door to her right, and opens it inward, holding it for John. Through it, you can see patients milling around in the waiting area, either sitting in the lounge or purchasing food from one of the few refreshment carts nearby.
| >>567676
>Marcille nods, still not entirely sure of what just transpired in the break room. How to talk to Janne about this, if deleting the footage is an option...? She'll make good on her promise, she just has to figure out how.
"You're welcome, Mister. You >>>might be able to come back once the restrictions on our visitor policy are lifted..."
>But, do they /want/ him to is the question. Marcille decides to leave this as an open ended 'maybe'.
| >>567686
"See you ar- well, maybe not see you around, Marcille. It's for the best."
>John smiles and waves.
"I never planned to visit again, Marcille, but other people will want to."
| >>567689
>Marcille returns the wave, but seems a little puzzled or troubled by John's parting words-- it's not clear which. Other people, huh...? After watching him walk towards the lobby's sliding doors, Marcille ducks back into the break room, and eyes the cred stick on the table for a moment before returning to the Emergency Ward's floor.
| >>567691
>John walks for a few blocks and comes up to the car that dropped him off, he knocks on it.
"Pass me the elevator repairman clothes."
>John quickly changes in to the overalls, along with a toolbox, and an identity for an elevator company.
"Time for Plan B."
>John puts the final piece of disguise, a fake beard along with a cap, branded again with the elevator company.
>He walks back to the hospital, through the front door and to the desk.
"I'm here to update the firmware."
| >>567696
>The clerk at the circulation desk raises an eyebrow, and looks John up and down carefully. Didn't someone with a similar prosthetic hand walk by earlier?
"The... firmware, huh? Who might you be?"
>They blink slowly, their voice and expression equally flat.
"Maintenance didn't mention anything to us about you paying us a visit today-- and so late in the evening, too."
>They wait for John to give whatever spiel he's prepared... or hasn't.
| >>567637
"No it is nothing? Simply can you tell me where to put away those over-sized things your staff called gloves?"
>She left out the 'More like trash bags for hands? what is with this size?" part
| >>567838
"Corp told me there's an emergency fix for the controller firmware, it's a few edge error cases, but Corp policy says that we push the updates to public services as soon as possible. Lawsuits and all that."
>John talks his drivel, keeping his prosthetic hand, now covered by a workman's glove and overall, under the front desk by holding the toolbox with it.
"Look, I just want to get this job done with, I've got 3 more places to go before the end of the night."
| >>567905
>Roy nods, and directs his gaze towards the biohazard bin behind him.
"Right over here, Dr. Xiria."
>Under the mask, which he won't remove until he's close to being out of the room, he wears a smile that's visible in his eyes.
"Thank you so much for all your help. Having another set of steady and experienced hands made all the difference, here."
>His tone is very warm, and genuine. The smooth flow of the procedure seems to have put him in a good mood.
| >>567909
>The clerk drums their fingers against the desk as they listen to John spew his bullshit interspersed with jargon.
"I don't recall us having any issues with the elevators lately..."
>But then again, this desk is home base. Not much reason to leave and go to other floors.
"... Is this at all related to the blackout?"
>They certainly weren't functioning then, but for the most part that was planned. Hmm.
"..."
| >>567925
"Let's get her moved up to the SICU-- I need to sit the staff that are going to be assigned to her down and tell them what her plan of care looks like... and start that empirical vanc Max suggested after we do some labs, that >>>was a good idea..."
>Roy starts listing tasks off to himself as he wanders towards the OR's exit, frequently trailing off and then adding on another item to the itinerary with a rather enthused sounding "oh yeah, and...".
| >>567909
"It's not a common issue, but I've been seeing more of these emergency fixes after the blackout... they've released 3 fixes just this month."
>John sighs, checking his watch.
"Look, I've got only a few hours left in the day, and I need to get this done or my pay is getting docked."
| >>567981
>The clerk chalks John's "3 times this month" comment up to him being tired from work... Whatever his real job actually is. They sigh, and decide that some battles are best left unfought-- after all, it's more than likely this guy is a legitimate repairman anyway. They point over John's shoulder at the elevator on the other side of the lobby.
"... You can start with that one over there."
| >>568065
"Alright, thanks."
>John nods to the receptionist, walking to the elevator, and slaps a 'out of service' on the elevator the clerk pointed at.
>He waits for the elevator to arrive, and gets in, and puts down his toolbox, grabbing a ring of keys, and tries them on the service key.
| >>568067
>You insert one of your keys into the available slot on the control pad, and are able to turn it until it reaches the "service" setting. The simple looking monitor on the wall flashes for a second, then begins displaying a scrolling message:
"This elevator is under service control..."
>The elevator announces this out loud at the same time.
| >>567937
[Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Wing 2-B]
>Roy and a major portion of the surgical team make their way onto the unit where Strawberry will undergo the most crucial part of her recovery. They're greeted by the wing's charge nurse and two of the floor nurses-- one of whom is essentially going to be Strawberry's personal caregiver. The SICU's patient to RN ratio is 1:1, allowing the nurses to observe for the tiniest signs of clinical decompensation with minimal distraction.
| >>568075
"Hi, Judy. What room are we putting the new patient in? Who should I give handoff to?"
>The charge nurse twists her head around slightly, searching out the newly empty room that was supposed to have had a hold placed on it earlier. They don't even wait until the beds are cold before they try and fill them again... She spots it, and gestures to a room a short way down the hall.
"206 is open. Let's walk and talk."
"... You don't have any room >>>other than 206?"
| >>568077 >>568078
>Roy gives Judy a pleading look, to which the charge nurse rolls her eyes in response.
"Roy, of all the people I'd expect to buy into the nurse's superstitions, >>>you're the last one--"
"-- I wouldn't if there wasn't reason to! Come on, Judy; don't make me point out how quickly you try to transfer patients out of there..."
>Roy gestures emphatically with his hands towards Judy and the aforementioned room. What's the deal, here, anyway...?
| >>568071
>John closes up the doors, and goes to the second floor, but does not open the doors.
"Alright, I'm in... Wait now what."
>John realized that he doesn't even have a map of the place...
"Ah fuck it."
>John takes his suppressed pistol out of the toolbox, and in to his overalls, and looks for a map on his phone, getting ready to leave the elevator.
| >>568158
"Floor 2... This elevator is under service control..."
>The hospital's website does not contain a map, nor any information about what floors its different departments are on. It simply lists what services are available to patients, and provides phone numbers they can dial to schedule consults or procedures. The only directions provided are ones on how to get to the hospital from major parts of GC.
| "Dang. Time to sweep the place."
>John leaves the sevice key in, and exits the elevator, and begins walking around and looking for a server room on the floor.l, trying to look like he belongs.
| >>568079
>Judy ignores Roy's (truthful) jab and instead chooses to prompt him to give her report again. The two chat for a few minutes about what's taken place up to this point, and Roy's plans for Strawberry circa the almost immediate future. The charge nurse diligently taps this all into her tablet, and in the midst of her documentation one of the floor RNs approaches from behind.
"Sasa is going to be this patient's assigned nurse."
| >>568183
>John exits the elevator and finds himself in a little offshoot of the 2nd floor's main corridor. A window lies directly across from him, and if he were to look down he'd be able to see the hospital's entrance, still swarming with emergency and civilian vehicles alike. Next to the window is a stand with an interactive directory listing the different floors and the respective departments they house.
| >>568185
>Out of all the RNs Roy has to work with on a regular basis, Sasa has had to be the most challenging one to learn to get along with-- and even now "getting along" is a generous way of describing their relationship. He tries to adopt his normal cheery tone with her, a half-hearted grin on his face.
"Hi, Sasa. How much of that did you hear?"
"I've read the chart and have been watching her vitals since she came out of surgery. Handoff is redundant at this point."
| >>568206
>Roy brings a hand to the back of his head and rubs at it, beginning to feel a little humiliated. Very few of the surgeons here even offer up a care summary or report before turfing their patients to another unit-- Roy is unique in this aspect and he's well aware of it. Still, he tries to continue that extra mile he's used to going.
"I-I see. Do you have any questions about--"
"No."
"O-okay... Please call me if--"
"I know. I will."
>Roy suppresses a grimace.
| >>568232
>There is nothing on the directory explicitly listed as a server room, because this would be a stupid thing for a building full of very sensitive information to do. There are, however, locations noted for maintenance/building services, security, and non-clinical/administrative offices. These are on the basement, first, and 5th floors respectively.
| >>568214
>Judy watches Roy falter with a lovely feeling of schadenfreude. 'Atta girl, Sasa.
"Don't worry Roy, we'll get out the salt and sage before we put her in there."
>Sasa snorts derisively as Roy begins to flush a vibrant shade of scarlet. She and the charge nurse are about to take off and leave him alone and embarrassed in the middle of the unit when out of habit he reaches into his pocket for his phone... and remembers it's not there.
"Oh, hey--"
| >>568309
>Judy looks over her shoulder, then turns halfway to face Roy again.
"Have either of you seen Ei around? She's supposed to be getting my phone out of the on-call room."
>Judy raises an eyebrow and smirks.
"Your >>>sweetheart? Haven't seen hide nor hair of her."
>Roy feels himself tense as Judy continues to antagonize him, experiencing dread over what Aikawa's response would be if she heard the charge nurse's quip just now.
"J-Judy, c-could you please not--"
| >>568318
>Judy's smirk widens into a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat's toothy smile as Roy stammers and holds up a hand in protest.
"Actually, she's a little butchy for 'sweetheart'... Maybe 'beau' is better...?"
"J-Judy, >>>please stop--"
>Roy sighs deeply and turns his gaze upward, as if silently begging a bolt of lightning to strike him down where he stands.
"Relax, Roy. I said I haven't seen her, and she's usually the kind to make her presence known."
| >>568323
>Roy draws a shaky sounding breath and slowly runs a hand down his face, trying to rid himself of the agitation Judy has so gleefully caused.
"R-right... Thanks, Judy, I-I'm just going to... check the on-call room--"
>Roy meanders off in the wrong direction for a few steps before he realizes his mistake and spins around in place to leave the unit, mumbling to himself as he walks. On his way to the on-call room, he passes by John, and looks at him curiously.
| >>568232 >>568341
"...?"
>Roy's exo makes an ugly crunching sound as he stops and takes a few steps backwards to look down the inlet where the elevator is housed, nearly losing his balance in the process.
"Can I help you find something, sir?"
>Roy stumbles a little, but manages to catch himself before he completely tips over.
"You look a little lost."
>An elevator operator...?
| >John turns his head, curious as to who called on him...
"Hmm? Yeah, I can't seem to find the model number of the hyraulics so that I can apply an update to the system."
>John scratches the back of his head.
"Truth be told... I can't find the server room, it should have the specifications on it."
| >>568360
>"Hydraulics"... "model number"... yes, these are words Roy recognizes-- he's needed to know them before when ordering replacement parts for his failing exo. He nods along with this portion of John's made up explanation until "server room" is mentioned.
"The server room?"
>Roy rubs his chin thoughtfully, then asks an honest question.
"How does that relate to the way the elevators work?"
>He cocks his head to the side. Uh-oh, John. Better explain this like he's five.
| "So imagine the elevator as the body, and the controller is the brain. And the controller should have all the spesifications on it, just like a brain has memory. Typically, the controller is with the rest of computer systems, in the server room."
>John rattles of an explanation he read on the intranet.
| >>568408
>Roy intones a muted "ahhh" as John "fakes it 'til he makes it," and make it he does indeed-- the surgeon seems convinced that the man in front of him is definitely an elevator repairman who knows what he's talking about.
"I see, that makes sense. The server room..."
>Roy taps his foot as he thinks. His sense of direction and mental map of the hospital aren't all that great.
"I want to say that's on the 5th floor somewhere."
>He sounds... mostly sure of this answer.
| >John looks at him sideways for a second, doubting the answer.
"Sure... Well, It's not on this floor, so I've got to go check it out anyway."
>He begins walking back to the elevator.
| >>568415
>Roy nods, thinking to himself that this sounds like a big job John's got on his hands. He shouldn't distract him, after all, most of the patients and visitors rely heavily on the hospital's elevators to get around.
"If--"
>He opens his mouth to speak for a moment, intending to offer John some help in finding the room, but hesitates and remains quiet instead.
"..."
| "If?"
>John looks back.
| >>568417
>Roy looks a little surprised, having thought John hadn't heard him. He clears his throat, feeling self conscious.
"A-ah, I was going to say that if you needed hep finding it, I might be able to point you in the right direction."
>He gestures towards the directory.
"I have an idea of where it might be in relation to my-- er, well my department's office."
>"An idea," huh...
| >John cocks an eyebrow...
"So do you or do you not, man? I've really got to get this done."
>Either John was going to be left alone, or doctor here would play pathfinder with him.
| >>568419
>Roy clams up, unsure of how to react. His roommate has told him many times before that one of his worst traits is his tendency to /try/ to be helpful... without actually /being/ helpful. He's acutely aware of this right now.
"..."
>Normally he'd be able to save some face or laugh this off, but he just doesn't have the energy. He sighs, and absentmindedly rubs one of his knees.
"I-I'll leave you to your work-- you seem to have a good handle on this."
| >John sighs, closing the elevator doors, and going to the fifth floor, hopefully the server is there, along with any footage of him bringing in the witness. He can't risk failing.
| >>568421
[5th Floor, Administration and Non-Clinical Offices]
"5th floor... This elevator is under service control..."
>The elevators open to reveal an almost entirely dark corridor, lit only by the light shining in from the windows that line the hall. The exit signs above the corridor doors at each end shine brightly in comparison, flickering eerily every so often. It's... not a very welcoming atmosphere.
| >John digs around in his toolbox before leaving the lift, taking a flashlight and a data-stick.
"What the fuck, where is everyone?"
>He grabs his gun, checking that it's suppressor is properly on, and a bullet in the chamber, putting it back in the overalls.
>He steps out, shining the torch at the doors when needed to find the name tag he was looking for.
>Server Room
| >>568420
>Roy shakes his head to himself, and runs a hand through his hair while he tries to gather his thoughts. He exhales deeply, frustrated with himself. He's tired. He's in pain. He's on edge. He's still supposed to be keeping it all together.
"..."
>He eventually collects himself enough to continue his walk down the hall towards the on-call room, singing softly to himself as he does so.
"Youuu... could find better things to dooo... than to break my heart againnn~"
| >>568424
>The beam from the flashlight scatters down the silent hallways as John searches for a sign-- literal or figurative-- that he's arrived at his destination. Most of what he passes by are doors that seem to lead into large offices, smaller ones nestled within. Surgery... Gastroenterology... Nephrology... How many goddamn "ologies" do they have in this place? One things for sure, no door in /this/ portion of the 5th floor is marked "Server Room."
| >>567651
[Surgical Department, On-Call Room]
>Aikawa has managed to straighten herself up enough to stare daggers into Rocky, eyes wider and more wild with each passing second. Her chest heaves, lungs desperately to pull in more air to displace the growing mass of anxiety behind her ribcage. When Rocky doesn't answer, Aikawa chokes out another prompt.
>>>"WELL?!"
>She grits her teeth, breaths drawn sharply through her clenched jaw.
| >At this point, John begins checking all the blank, locked doors, frustrated.
| >>568430
>In the echo of Aikawa's strangled shout, a voice is heard floating down the hallway, mixed with a rhythmic mechanical clicking and the sound of something dragging slightly against the tile.
"This tiiiiiime... I will try to show that IIIIIII'm... not trying to pretennnnd~"
>Aikawa's mouth falls open, and her eyes become locked on the doorway. All of her is frozen in place. The pistol drops from her hand, and clatters on the floor of the on call room.
| >>568432
>John opens a few unlocked storage and maintenance closets as he tries some of the unmarked doors in the hallway. There is one locked and unmarked door towards the end of the corridor where the double doors are. Through the double doors is a hallway that runs perpendicular to the one John is standing in currently.
| >>568446
>John checks his toolbox, and realises he does not have a lockpick, he decides on a different method.
>He takes a screwdriver, and a hammer, and starts trying to knock out the pins holding the door to the frame, and if it works, he will just move the door out the way.
| >>568448
>While John is working quickly to take the unmarked door off its hinges, he doesn't seem to notice what appears to be... some sort of light source coming down the hallway beyond the double doors. It passes by once, its soft glow illuminating John's back through the windows before quickly fading away. There is a series of quiet beeps, and then the light approaches again from the opposite direction.
| >John finally notices the light, and acts casual.
"Oi Mate, can you help me out with this? It was reported as an 'Annoying squeeking sound.'"
>John turns his head to take a look at the source of light.
| >>568451
>The source of light comes to rest directly outside the double doors and remains there for a moment. It then flashes a few times, and one of the doors begins to open. What comes through is slightly shorter than John in terms of height, but maybe twice as wide-- a wheeled, automated unit meant to do... something within the halls up here in admin. It beeps at John a few times, and remains in the doorway.
| >>568439
"III thought that you would realiiize~"
>Aikawa manages to tear her gaze from the doorway and shift it rapidly to Rocky, then back towards the doorway and finally, to the pistol on the ground. The footsteps and song in the hall grow louder, coming closer.
"That if I ran away from you, then you would want me, too~"
>Something deep within Aikawa forces her to act-- she practically throws herself on the ground as she tries to get the gun back in her grip.
>>>"Don't..."
| >>568453
>Aikawa mouths the word repeatedly, sound barely escaping her lips. She fumbles with the pistol as she hurries to pick it back up, her trembling hands and injured fingers making it difficult to secure.
>>>"Don't..."
>Directly outside, Roy rounds the corner of the doorway to step over the threshold and into the on-call room...
"But I got a big surpriiiise, oooh-oh, oooh-ohhh, youuu... If you break my--"
>and stops dead, trying to comprehend the scene in front of him.
| >>568452
>John looks down on the robot, and back to the hinge, still holding one of the pins partially out of the hinge.
"You wouldn't have any oil on you, would you?"
| >>568538
>The robot faces John and remains still for a moment, registering and processing his request. He can see an aperture lens mounted behind protective glass in the front panel attempt to focus on him a few times in the dim lighting. The small monitor displays what appears to be a "loading" or "buffering" circle, and then... "OK" appears in place of the load symbol. A whirring begins to sound within the machine.
| >>568577
>Beneath the display is about a foot long hollow space set back a few inches within the bot's front panel, also protected by what seems to be reinforced glass. John sees something drop down onto the bottom of it after a few moments of whirring (a cup?), and then a stream of liquid begins to dispense, filling to just below the brim of the cup. The glass slides open, and a light illuminates the cup, which is... full of something dark.
| >John takes the cup, Looking at the liquid, and dips a finger in to it, and begins applying it on the hinge pin, before sliding it back in.
"Thanks little guy. But I don't think I'll need this much oil..."
>John puts it the cup on the floor, and puts his tools back in his toolbox, before trying to move around the little robo, and in to the locked off area.
| >>568583
>As the liquid soaks the entire finger of John's work glove via the miracle of capillary action, he notices that it's... very hot. Extremely hot. Scalding. He also notices that the scent isn't that of grease-- rather, the unmistakeable aroma of espresso. The robot waits expectantly, as if to ask, "is it to your liking, sir?"
| >John takes his work glove off, in a rush, finger in pain, he muffles his pain with his arm over his mouth."
"UMGHEAF!"
>He throws the glove in his toolbox, and shakes his hand around to cool it. Suppressing all his anger towards the robot, he replies in pain.
"It wAs goOd, thanks."
>He wiggles around his finger a little more, to cool it off...
"Maybe a little less hot next time."
| >>568590
>The aperture lens refocuses once more as the unit warbles another short series of beeps. The screen then displays a thumbs up, the robot's obliviousness seemingly mocking John as he desperately waves his hand around to cool it. John can hear the same whirring from within the bot that he did earlier... and then sees /another/ cup drop into the partition behind the glass, filling up with liquid yet again. The glass slides open. The robot continues to block the doorway.
| >>568456
>Seeing Roy appear in the doorway, Aikawa scrambles to her feet, the pistol back in her trembling hands. In her rush towards him, her ankle twists and she trips, nearly sending her shoulder first into his stomach. Roy has the wherewithal to catch her and keep her standing, grip firm on her upper arms.
"E-Ei? What--"
"ROY--!!"
>Roy feels a chill run down his spine. Aikawa only ever calls him by his first name if something is really right, or if something is /very/ wrong.
| >>568592
>Keeping up with the act, he takes the second cup of coffee, and takes a sip...
>It's just wet hot coffee grounds. John is very much so not ammused.
>He infact is so unamused, He puts the bad coffee on top of the robot, and his toolbox.
"That was the worst cup of coffee I've ever had."
| >>568598
>The robot processes John's response again, seeking to improve its skills via his critique. The thumbs up symbol flashes, is replaced by the load circle, and the whirring begins just as before... Then, the unit shudders, and produces an audible shrill squealing-- the cup drops down as expected, but the glass moves to the side prematurely. John hears the sound of the coffee percolating before it explodes out of the nozzle and all over the front of his uniform.
| >John takes the spray with fine confidence, seemingly like he hasn't been sprayed with boiling hot coffee, and calmly takes it off, revealing a clean suit, along with his handgun.
"You really. Really. Should have not done that."
>He points it at the robot.
"Now, you are a robot, so you are connected to the system. If you where an autonimus bot, you would have done your job, made the coffee, alerted security. But, clearly, you are an AI."
>John picks up the first cup of coffee...
| >And drink it, clearly, it was a good cup of coffee, just a bit too hot.
"See?"
>John says, wiggling the cup of coffee.
"Now, I think I'll need you for later."
>John unloads his gun in to the robot, just hoping the data banks are left safe.
| >>568666
>John fills the little barista bot full of holes-- it tries to escape after the second shot lands, but its wheels fail as its motor is destroyed by yet another bullet. The screen flashes on and off frantically along with the LED runner lights on the front of the unit, and for a split second John is completely illuminated as the robot tries to get a decent image of its attacker. After two more shots, it lays still-- ironically leaking oil rather than coffee.
| "That'll do, bot. That'll do."
>John uses his left prosthetic hand to grab the data bank of the bot, before moving on, without the toolbox.
"God damn it."
>He moves forward, past the barista bot corpse and back on the hunt for the server room...
| >>568668
>The next hallway John enters is equally dark as the first, with a row of doors opposite him at irregularly spaced intervals containing offices and the like. Unlike the first corridor, this one isn't closed at either end-- instead, there are corners that lead elsewhere, making the hall in which John is standing the proverbial fork in the road. A number of bulletin boards dot the walls, covered in various fliers and posters.
| >John decides to check the bulletin board, see if it has any information.
| >>568671
>The bulletin board has some announcements regarding interdepartmental events and changes, as well as advertisements for educational seminars and a list of Schwartz Rounds dates. It also has a notice on it that... bears the likeness of the fallen coffee bot.
| >John grabs the flyer, keeping it for later, and keeps checking for locked, blank doors, with a now added pace to get the job done.
| >>568676
>As John continues his search, he notices a quiet hum coming from the rightmost end of the corridor. It's very faint, but seems to be getting closer. Is that a shadow on the wall? No, couldn't be... but as he continues to jiggle handles in an attempt to open the hallway's unmarked doors, the ghostly outline of /something/ pokes out from around the bend.
| >John points his gun at the outline, ready to fire.
"Who goes there?"
| >>568679
>Almost immediately after the words leave his mouth, John is answered with a blinding flash of light and a quickly growing screen of billowing white smoke. The sound of all of the doors on the 5th floor slamming shut besieges his ears, and subsequently John is left with very few options for an escape route. The figure looming in the corner rolls forward, its form obscured slightly by the smoke.
| >>568680
>"Fuck."
>...Is all John can think.
>He shoots at an office window, to weaken it, before jumping through it.
>Then jumps through it.
| >>568682
>The glass of the window is perforated neatly with the aid of John's gun, but unfortunately the cracks extending out from the holes don't reach very far. It takes a lot of force to shatter the surrounding glass as John hurls himself through the window, and while his prosthetic shoulder takes the brunt of the hit, he does end up with quite a few lacerations across multiple areas of his upper body. His once pristine suit looks like it's been run through a blender.
| >>568684
>The figure at the end of the hall comes rushing in John's direction, and John is just barely able to make his way through the window before it intercepts him-- had he not, he would have been mowed down by a very imposing security bot. The bot stops outside the door, scanning the area for the intruder it's identified, but finds nothing other than the broken window. Unable to connect the dots, rather than open the office door, it resumes patrol immediately outside it.
| >"Less Fuck."
>He keeps down, under the window, and looks for something to throw to distract it.
| >>568686
>While John searches, it becomes apparent that the security bot has called for backup. An identical model comes zooming down the leftmost side of the corridor, joining the first in its careful guarding of the door-- ready to incapacitate at the slightest sign that John may have returned. While one might expect them to issue some kind of warning, they are instead deathly quiet, making it very disconcerting as they weave in and out of the fog.
| >>568687
>Shards of glass crunch beneath John as he feels around the entrance of the room on his hands and knees for something he can lob out the window. Finding a projectile would be much easier if it wasn't so pitch dark in here-- the only light sources available are some small pinpoints of light that blink intermittently, like tiny stars in the night sky. He feels himself starting to sweat. His fingers run over something smooth, with some irregular vertical ridges.
| >>568690
>"If Only I had some light..."
>John remains calm, picking up the object, to see what it is, while trying to adapt to the darkness... and remembers.
>He still has his other glove.
>He tries again to see what it is.
| >>568691
>John is able to pick up whatever he came across, but can't free it from the ground entirely. It's heavy, and rope like-- when he pulls at it, it feels as though it's fixed to a point on each side of it. Running his hands over the length of this thing, he feels a thin, yet rigid band around the middle of it.
>Christ, is it hot in here... John can hear something that sounds like a quiet fan or two further into the room. They don't seem to be helping air circulation much.
| >"Ah fuck it, at least I'm in the right place."
>John takes his glove off, filling it with the shards of glass, throwing it up and out of the window, with the best of his ability, down the corridor to distract the bots.
| >>568693
>One of the bots takes off after the glass-filled glove, the other remains in place-- but begins patrolling a much wider arc within the hall. Eyes adjusting to the light, John is able to see further in the room what looks like blue-white light shining from behind a partially cracked open door.
| >John stays low to the floor, moving to the door.
"What's the worst that can happen?"
| >>568695
>It's pretty much a clear path to the slightly ajar door, and John crawls slowly along the floor without running into many obstacles on his way over. This doesn't seem to be going so badly. Rows of towers flank him on both sides, dotted with small rows of lights. The drone of the fans and electronic hum only gets louder the further in John goes, blocking out almost all other sound.
| >John pulls out his phone, sending a single message.
>"I'm in the server, get ready."
>He puts it away again, crawling further.
| >>568698
>The motion of John's arm as he reaches into his pocket to withdraw and replace his phone catches the attention of something that has been roaming around within the room, unbeknownst to John. While wandering between the walls of equipment, it's spotted him-- and now it's beginning its pursuit... /also/ unbeknownst to John.
| >>568593
[Surgical Department, On-Call Room]
>Roy looks to Rocky, then back to Aikawa, utterly bewildered. All she was supposed to be doing was getting his phone...
"Ei, what's--?!"
>Before Roy can finish his question, his roommate practically throws herself in front of him, taking a wide stance to make her body his shield. Because of their height difference, there is still a lot of Roy left uncovered. He looks down, and notices the pistol.
"Ei, >>>what are you holding?!?!"
| >>568832
>Step by step, inch by inch, the unseen hunter in the room draws closer to its prone prey, its presence masked by the darkness and sonorous sound of the fans. John has just barely reached the bottom of the door when he feels something heavy forcefully dig into the middle of his back. Its weight shifts, but it remains in place-- and then John realizes there's something growing closer to the side of his head.
| >"oh no"
>John panics for a second, before twisting his left arm all out of shape to shoot what is currently stomping him, while trying to move out the way.
| >>568872
>John successfully extricates himself from beneath the foot (?) of his (practically) invisible assailant. Light from behind the door glints off of this thing and reveals some of its form: a tanky looking quadrupedal bot the size of a very large tortoise, with much greater mobility. It quickly regains its balance and lowers itself to the ground, trying to maintain a more stable base.
| >John rolls himself out from under, back on to his feet and behind a server tower, before continuing to shoot, and jumps up and both feet down towards the bot to stomp it.
| >>568874
>John feels a crunch beneath his feet as the top panel of the security unit yields to the force of his heels. Something snaps or pops beneath the sole of his shoe, scattering sparks across the "shell" of the turtle bot. John is able to put one of the bot's legs out of commission with a well placed bullet-- the right hind leg-- but it still rears its head at him and lurches forward to toss him off its back.
| >>568875
>The bot tries to locate the intruder with significant difficulty, since many of its sensors have been either destroyed or badly damaged. John's heat signature is beginning to blend in with the warmth generated from the mass of electronic equipment in the room around him, making any motion hard for the unit to spot. It attempts to fire a powerful blast of directed sound his way in an attempt to stun him, but its aim is poor and as a result John doesn't hear a thing.
| >>568876
>John fires back again at it, unloading the last of his bullets at it, now aiming with both his hands.
| >>568877
>John mangles another one of the security bot's legs and damages its chassis beyond all repair. The speaker it's been using in a desperate attempt to retaliate has failed. The bot, as if sensing its reserves are rapidly being drained, musters what little power it has remaining to flash a painfully bright white light from the strobe within its "chest." The room appears daylit for a moment before being cloaked in near complete darkness once again.
This thread is permanently archived
| hot dang the story continues, thanks for sticking along for the ride this far g/u/rls!